Crooked Politicians Contribute to Strife in The Philippines

By:

John Mangalonz

Local News Editor "The Spectrum"

 

Philippine politics has long struggled with corruption, and it seems that it is getting worse.

When former strongman, the late President Ferdinand Marcos, was ousted in 1986, everyone thought freedom and clean and honest government were going to reemerge, but it didn't happen.

What bothers me the most is the fact the disparity between the rich and the poor in the Philippines is getting wider by the minute, and I believe that one of the causes of the country's rapid economic decline is the corruption going on in all three branches government.

Recently, several key figures — sitting senators and congress members — were arrested in connection with a pork barrel scam: The politicians are alleged to have accepted millions of dollars in kickbacks from what was then known as the Countrywide Development Fund.

And involvement in the scandal may go all the way up to the presidential palace, according to recent news reports.

Meanwhile, millions of Filipinos worry how they are going to get their next meal.

The percentage of the Philippine population considered to be poor is higher than the Southeast Asian average, based on a study of the Asian Development Bank and the National University of Singapore, titled "Ending Asian Deprivations."

The report said around 17.71 percent of the populace, or close to 18 million Filipinos — based on the estimated 98 million Philippine population — still live below $1.25 a day, which is the internationally accepted poverty line.

This is depressing considering that the combined wealth of the 50 richest families — including families of politicians — in the country already equaled 25 percent of Philippine gross domestic product.

And, remember Typhoon Haiyan in November that affected 4.3 million people across 36 provinces and killed nearly 7,000 people? Eight months later, the United Nations estimates more than 100,000 people there in the storm zone still live in tents, waiting for better housing.

Tens of thousands more are rebuilding in places the government is trying to close down.

The Philippines suffered one of the world's worst disasters in history in November 2013. Haiyan rendered at least 4 million homeless.

The Philippine government (big question mark here), private sector, and non-governmental organizations have been behind a massive rehabilitation program for Haiyan, but the process has been slow and at times frustrating.

In the province of Tacloban alone, more than 12,000 homes were completely destroyed and 46,000 severely damaged. The rebuilding needs are immense.

Aid agencies have so far provided emergency shelter supplies — tents, tarpaulins and the like — to 570,000 families.

A further 160,000 households have received tools and materials to help them rebuild their homes.

So, I ask: Do these alleged political crooks have any conscience left in their bones?

I haven't been back home in more than 20 years. It was very hard, to say the least, watching footage of the November storm's aftermath. Some of my former colleagues in the islands sent me photos of their coverage, lifeless bodies of victims lying on the streets.

My fellow journalists there then asked me: "Do you remember back in 1991?"

Sadly, I do.

As Haiyan relief efforts went underway days and weeks after the disaster, bloated bodies lay uncollected and uncounted in the streets and survivors pleaded for food, water and medicine — much like what I saw in 1991.

Before Haiyan earned the distinction of being the worst storm that hit the archipelago, Tropical Storm Thelma, or what Philippine officials named Typhoon Uring, hit Ormoc City, also in Leyte province.

I was a young journalist when I was sent to Ormoc City in November 1991 to cover the aftermath of Thelma that killed roughly 6,000 people. Seeing hundreds, if not thousands, of bodies on the street made it very difficult for me to find objectivity.

I can still remember the looks on the faces of the grief-stricken people of Ormoc, some of whom had lost many members of their family.

The cries of the victims I heard back in '91 are strikingly similar to the cries I hear today.

It will be a long road ahead for those left to make sense of the devastation, for life as they know it has changed forever.

Losing everything for a people who have nothing is irony in itself.

Typhoon Neoguri Seen to Enter The Philippines

Expected to move toward the Ryukyu Islands, typhoon Neoguri will be given the name Florita once it enters the Philippine Area of Responsibility.

The skies will be cloudy in Visayas and parts of Luzon on Sunday, July 6, as a strong typhoon is expected to enter the Philippine Area of Responsibility (PAR), said the state weather bureau PAGASA in its 24-hour weather bulletin on Saturday, July 5.

Typhoon Neoguri was spotted 1,360 kms east of Casiguran, Aurora, at 4 pm Saturday. It is moving northwest at 25 km/h, with maximum sustained winds of 150 km/h and gustiness of up to 185 km/h.

The typhoon is headed toward the Ryukyu Islands between Taiwan and southern Japan, and would not be a threat to the Philippines. (Data from Weather Philippines is not official data. Official weather information is issued by state weather bureau PAGASA.)

PAGASA advised the public and local disaster risk reduction and management councils to be on alert. Updates about typhoon Neoguri will be posted on PAGASA's next weather bulletin on Sunday morning.

The Bicol and Mimaropa regions, as well as the Visayas, will experience cloudy skies with light to moderate rains and thunderstorms.

Meanwhile, Metro Manila and the rest of the country will have partly cloudy to cloudy skies with isolated rainshowers or thunderstorms.

Coastal waters will be moderate to rough, as moderate to strong winds blow from the southwest to west over Southern Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao. Over the rest of the country, light to moderate winds coming from the southwest will prevail.

City	Forecast		Temperature Range
Metro Manila		Partly cloudy to at times cloudy with rainshowers and/or thunderstorms	25°C-32°C
Tuguegarao		Partly cloudy to at times cloudy with rainshowers and/or thunderstorms	25°C-34°C
Laoag		Partly cloudy to at times cloudy with rainshowers and/or thunderstorms	25°C-32°C
Baguio		Partly cloudy to at times cloudy with rainshowers and/or thunderstorms	16°C-23°C
Subic/Olongapo; Clark/Angeles		Partly cloudy to at times cloudy with rainshowers and/or thunderstorms	25°C-31°C
Tagaytay		Partly cloudy to at times cloudy with rainshowers and/or thunderstorms	22°C-31°C
Lipa		Partly cloudy to at times cloudy with rainshowers and/or thunderstorms	24°C-32°C
Legazpi		Cloudy skies with rainshowers and/or thunderstorms	25°C-32°C
Puerto Princesa		Cloudy skies with rainshowers and/or thunderstorms	25°C-30°C
Iloilo/Bacolod		Cloudy skies with rainshowers and/or thunderstorms	23°C-30°C
Metro Cebu		Cloudy skies with rainshowers and/or thunderstorms	25°C-30°C
Tacloban		Cloudy skies with rainshowers and/or thunderstorms	24°C-31°C
Cagayan de Oro		Partly cloudy to at times cloudy with rainshowers and/or thunderstorms	24°C-31°C
Metro Davao		Partly cloudy to at times cloudy with rainshowers and/or thunderstorms	25°C-33°C
Zamboanga		Partly cloudy to at times cloudy with rainshowers and/or thunderstorms	25°C-33°C

Manila 'A BIG CHALLENGE' in Disasters

By Jerry E. Esplanada |Philippine Daily Inquirer

A UN official has described Manila as “a big challenge” when it comes to handling natural disasters, because of the “scale and multitude of risks facing it." 

“Actually, any big city like Manila is a challenge,” said Margareta Wahlström, who heads the UN Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR). 

Interviewed during the just-concluded 6th Asian Ministerial Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction, or AMCDRR, in the Thai capital, Wahlstrom said Manila as a local government unit (LGU) was “a tough issue… because of very important responsibilities delegated to it by the national government.” 

While the national government had “the right DRR-related policies,” the UN official said that “some LGUs do not have enough technical capability to implement these policies.” 

Strengthening these LGUs would put the Philippines “in a very good space,” said Wahlström, who serves as UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon’s special representative for disaster risk reduction. 

Manila could also adopt “some best practices by model local governments like Albay and Cebu,” Wahlstrom said, adding that the city government and other Philippine LGUs should “enhance disaster resilience programs at the local level” by strengthening the role of women, children, the youth and persons with disabilities in disaster risk reduction planning and management. 

LGUs could also “increase public investments on DRR and promote the use of science and technology in disaster risk reduction programs.”

In a report, the Geneva-based UN International Strategy for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNISDR) cited Makati City, Albay province, as well as San Francisco town on Camotes Island in Cebu for their “best practices” on a wide range of DRR-related challenges, including early warning, legislation and food management. 

Makati made it to the list for its “sophisticated and efficient disaster risk management system,” which has fully institutionalized disaster risk reduction, preparedness and emergency management (into) dedicated organizations, (with) direct funding at the local level. 

Disaster risk reduction in Makati has been “integrated into urban planning, health, disaster response and risk governance at different government levels,” according to the report.

It added that Makati also “engages all levels of society, particularly barangays (villages), which conduct regular community dialogues to discuss risk management issues.” 

Albay’s disaster risk reduction strategy “centers on relocating businesses and more than 10,000 households.”

Senator Enrile will remain a free man a bit longer ...

Sen. Juan Ponce Enrile will remain a free man a bit longer, as the Sandiganbayan is taking more time to determine whether there is probable cause to prosecute him for plunder and graft over the P10-billion pork barrel scam. 

The antigraft court’s Third Division that is handling the consolidated plunder and graft cases against Enrile and his 48 coaccused reached no decision on Monday.

On the other hand, the Fifth Division, which is handling the consolidated plunder and graft cases against Sen. Jinggoy Estrada, ordered him and his 25 coaccused arrested Monday morning. 

The First Division, which is handling the consolidated cases against Sen. Bong Revilla and his 31 coaccused, was the first to decide, ordering the arrests on Thursday afternoon just hours after a hearing. 

The arrest warrants were issued the following day, prompting Revilla and his coaccused, including his legislative staff officer Richard Cambe, to turn themselves in and 20 of those accused of graft to post bail last Friday. 

Voluminous documents

 

During the hearing on Friday, members of the Third Division—Presiding Justice Amparo Cabotaje-Tang (chair) and Associate Justices Samuel Martires and Alex Quiroz—listened to Enrile’s lawyer Estelito Mendoza challenge the more than 9,000 pages of documents submitted by the Ombudsman as any proof that Enrile received kickbacks from the pork barrel scam. 

Martires assured Mendoza that the division read all the documents. 

“I will read the 9,000 sheets (of paper). I don’t care what the lawyers, the media think. This court will base its decision on the evidence,” Martires said. 

The three divisions heard defense motions to either suspend the proceedings, defer the issuance of arrest warrants or to dismiss the cases altogether. 

The First Division, composed of Associate Justices Efren de la Cruz (chair), Rafael Lagos and Napoleon Inoturan (temporary member), issued a four-page resolution on Thursday saying the Ombudsman charges showed “sufficient grounds exist for the finding of probable cause” for issuing the arrest warrants. 

The Fifth Division, composed of Associate Justices Rolando Jurado (chair) Alexander Gesmundo and Quiroz (temporary member), reached a similar decision. 

“The arguments raised are matters of defense [that can] be best threshed out during the trial on the merits of these cases,” it said in its four-page decision. 

3 more post bail

 

On Monday, three more accused posted bail, bringing the total to 23 out of the 54 people accused of graft accounted for. 

Bail was set at P30,000 per count of graft. 

Those who have posted bail are Dennis Cunanan, Marivic Jover, Francisco Figura, Consuelo Espiritu and Rosalinda Lacsamana of the Technology Resource Center;

Gondelina Amata, Chita Jalandoni and Gregoria Buenaventura of the National Livelihood Development Corp.;

Encarnita Munsod of the National Agribusiness Corp. (Nabcor);

Budget Undersecretary Mario Relampagos and Rosario Nuñez, Lalaine Paule and Marilou Bare of the Department of Budget and Management; the children of principal accused Janet Lim-Napoles, Jo Christine and James Christopher; and employees of Napoles’ bogus foundations Evelyn de Leon, Jocelyn Piorato, Eulogio Rodriguez, Nitz Cabilao, Fernando Ramirez, Jesus Castillo, Dorilyn Fabian and Renato Ornopia. 

Revilla’s arraignment is set for June 26 while Estrada’s arraignment is set for June 30.

(With Philippine Daily Inquirer)

Mount Apo Threatened by Garbage Left by Climbers

The country's highest peak is being threatened by irresponsible mountain climbers, who have left tons of garbage as found out during a recent clean up drive by tourism and environment officials there, as one could learn from a PNA-report.

Joey Recimilla, chair of the Protected Area Management Board committee on eco-tourism, said the bad habit of Mt. Apo climbers that destroys the natural beauty of the country's highest peak must be stopped.

"We collected 2.6 tons of garbage during our three-days clean-up drive!" Recimilla said. "This is total disregard of our desire to maintain the flora and fauna of the national park healthy," he added. Recimilla, also Kidapawan City tourism chief, said he was saddened to find out non biodegradbale materials littered along various trails and even at the ppeak of Mount Apo.

Common among the garbage collected were candy wrappers, cellophane, empty plastic water bottles, sanitary napkins an cigarette butts. All things who will destroy the forest and the complete surroundings of Mt. Apo.

For me, living in Mindanao for good: it's distressing indeed!

15-year-old is New Miss Teen Philippines

by Robert R. Requintina

A 15-year-old student from East Manila who pushes for women empowerment was crowned 2014 Miss Teen Philippines in a glittery pageant at the Philippine International Convention Center in Pasay City.

Reissha Nicole Magadia, who studies at St. John’s Wort Montessori International School in Antipolo City and stands 5’9”, wowed the audience not only with her stunning beauty and poise, but also with her winsome charm and clever response to the question: “What’s the best advice you’ve learned from your mother?”

Magadia also received P2.6 million worth of prizes, including a college scholarship package and Sun Cellular products.

Other winners were Chiara Marie Ocampo, from Las Piñas City, first runner-up; Miss Teen Philippines-Luzon Abby Gael Angel, Olongapo City; Miss Teen Philippines-Visayas Jeri-Anna Henares, Bacolod City; and Miss Teen Philippines-Mindanao Victoria Leslie Ingram, Talisay City.

“The best advice I’ve learned from my mom is woman empowerment,” Magadia said, before she was proclaimed the first Miss Teen Philippines in seven years.

She was also the recipient of the Sun Cellular People’s Choice Award after getting the most number of text votes in the competition.

With her victory, Magadia becomes the Department of Education youth ambassador tasked to promote the value of education among the youth nationwide.

Magadia will also represent the Philippines in several global youth conferences, including the Southeast Asian Youth Program and the National Youth Parliament.

As a role model for the youth, Magadia said: “I plan to inspire the youth by embodying those values in all my actions, my deeds, and my thoughts and I guess the best way to inspire them is being the change they want to see.

“So if you want to see them that they are doing their best in their studies, you should also do it yourself.”

Sun Cellular, the pageant’s telco partner, also welcomes Magadia as the newest member of the Sun Cellular Family.

“Sun Cellular’s support for Miss Teen Philippines underscores our commitment to the youth and the advocacy they represent,” said Joan Marie Dueñas, VP and Head for Sun Cellular Postpaid.

Full Force of the Law

Re-published Editorial from MINDANAO DAILY MIRROR dated June 4, 2014 with friendly permission of the publisher Marietta F. Siongco.

Mayor Rodrigo Duterte expressed anew his iron-fist stance against police scalawags in Davao City, most especially those involved in illegal drugs and "akyat bahay" burglaries that have hit a number of residences. His warning is as grim as his previous ones: policemen who are found to be involved in such crimes will be killed, a concrete display of an extraordinary mayor being so vocal about putting the law into his own hands. Davaoenos have already gotten used to Duterte's hard-hitting pronouncements against unlawful elements and even welcomes them with recognition and adulation. There are those, however, who disagree.

Duterte's confirmattion that some Davao City cops are involved in illegal drugs and are in cahoots with notorius robbers is certainly frustrating, and it is understandable that many accept the need to warn such cops that they could face liquidation if they do not stop. Policemen, after all, are supposed to protect people, not harm them. These erring policemen, regardless of their rank, are a bane to society.

But we do live in a democracy. Our system does not allow for the extrajudicial settlement of debts to society. Government itself is bound by law, and officials must show themselves as the prime practitioners and followers of the legal process. Besides, what sweeter way to punish a rogue cop than to throw the book at him and have him face the full force of the law?

Eleven Coolest Towns in The Philippines

By Al Gerard de la Cruz, CNN

 

 

Lake Sebu spills into seven waterfalls -- two are connected by a high zipline. The air in its namesake town feels good on the skin, with temperatures seldom warmer than 77 F (25 C).

 

• Easy temps aren't the only things that make these 11 towns the coolest in the Philippines
• In Sagada the climate is cool enough to grow lemons
• Towns at a higher altitude, such Baguio and Canlaon City, are popular summer escapes

Framed by the equator and Tropic of Cancer, the Philippines is one sunshiney place.

Some locals cope with the heat by hitting the sugary beaches.

Tacloban's small businesses still hurting

2012: Above the tree tops in the Philippines

Gambling on gaming in the Philippines

 

Others turn air-conditioned malls into their second living room.

Then there are those who seek refuge in the upland barangays (villages), such as Bucari in Leon or Mantalongon in Dalaguete, where the elevation offsets the Philippines' equatorial warmth.

In its provincial boondocks, the Philippines has the ultimate paradox: the cool tropical town.

Lower temps, however, aren't the only things that make these towns cool.

1. Baguio

Inspired by the British Raj, American colonists built a sanatorium in the chilly heights of Benguet Province in 1903 for heat-oppressed, homesick soldiers.

By 1909, the place was transformed into an American town, Baguio, with the help of Flatiron Building architect Daniel Burnham.

For a few summers, the American governor-general would move the seat of government here from humid Manila.

At 5,200 feet above sea level, Baguio enjoys low temperatures -- in 1961 it dropped to a recorded low of 43 F (6.3 C).

Even though the governors-general are long gone, the city remains a summer capital and vacation favorite, packed to the precipice, especially during Holy Week.

Tourists eat peanut brittle and strawberries fresh from the nearby fields of La Trinidad.

Getting there: From Manila, an eight-hour bus ride is the standard way to reach Baguio (flights are rare, save for the odd charter). Buses leave from Manila's Caloocan, Cubao and Pasay residential areas.

Tagaytay: Like the Hamptons, only with fishermen on bamboo rafts.

2. Tagaytay

Tagaytay is to Manila what the Hamptons are to New York City.

Just more than an hour from Manila, this city hosts second homes of the capital's well off, who are drawn to the lower temps and authoritative views of Taal Volcano, the smallest active volcano in the world.

Imelda Marcos once invited Ronald and Nancy Reagan here to check out her "palace in the sky," a mansion roosting 2,300 feet above sea level.

Today, moneyed locals live out only slightly less Imelda-like retirements in the city's Swiss-style log homes.

Getting there: Tagaytay-bound buses travel along Manila's Taft Avenue near the MRT station or from the corner of Gil Puyat Avenue.

If driving, follow the South Luzon Expressway (SLEX) toward Tagaytay via the Santa Rosa or Carmona exits.

Or get on Mabini Superhighway after SLEX, exit to Tanauan and follow the Talisay-Tagaytay route.

3. Sagada

Episcopal missionaries resided in Sagada in the 1900s, where they were pleased to discover the climate was cool enough to grow lemons.

The locals still grow the lemons in their yards.

Jutting 5,300 feet above sea level, the so-called Philippine Shangri-La offers an ideal climate to grow a variety of fruit.

After dark, the town can turn wintry, reaching the low 50s F (10s C) in January and February.

Kape alamid (civet poop coffee), one of many local delicacies, is one way to warm up.

Travelers can see just how cool it gets by hopping into the teeth-chattering waters of Sumaguing Cave or climbing to the top of Kiltepan, a vantage point offering views over an ocean of clouds.

Getting there: Regular buses and jeepneys depart Baguio's Dangwa terminal for Sagada, a five-hour ride.

4. Don Salvador Benedicto

"Little Baguio" is used to describe pretty much any place in the Philippines with any coniferous vegetation whatsoever.

But the moniker fits Don Salvador Benedicto (DSB), a town 2,500 feet above sea level on Negros Island.

From the 60 F chill (16 C) to the pine-lined thoroughfares and random lion monuments, DSB is a micro-Baguio, sans crowds.

Fun experience for motorists: at Magnetic Hill along KM34 on SB13, the road's subtle incline creates the illusion of an invisible force tugging vehicles.

Getting there: From Bacolod, DSB is an hour trip by bus or van; it's a half-hour flight or a day's ferry ride from Manila.

5. Canlaon City

Canlaon City rivals Don Salvador Benedicto as Negros Island's summer capital.

At 2,600 feet above sea level at the foot of Canlaon Volcano, the city experiences a cool micro-climate warmed up by hot springs that dot the terrain.

Numerous waterfalls, including some that have carved natural slides down the mountains, are a great way to experience the city's refreshing feel.

It's colder on the Saddle in the Sky, the ridge dividing the volcano's two craters.

Midsummer nights are dreamlike at the gargantuan balete tree, located in the city's Japanese-run agricultural estates.

The famous tree, believed to be more than 1,300 years old, draws innumerable fireflies nightly.

Getting there: Scenic land routes lead to Canlaon City from Bacolod, Dumaguete and San Carlos.

6. Davao City

Encompassing 244,000 hectares, Davao City on the island of Mindanao takes in towering mountains and dramatic green landscapes, as opposed to the heaven-scraping high-rises and concrete jungles that dominate other large Philippine cities.

The durian capital of the Philippines, it's one of three cities that share Mount Apo, the highest peak in the country.

You can walk a tough trail all the way to the top of Apo (9,692 feet/2,954 meters), but the hot and the restless can make faster, less grueling ascents in districts like Toril, Marilog and Calinan, whose mountain resorts offer untainted air, pine-canopied trails and invigorating falls.

Getting there: There are direct flights to Davao City from Manila, as well as from regional points like Singapore.

7. Lantapan

Splayed on a high plateau, Bukidnon province is full of cool locales, such as the provincial capital Malaybalay (another "Little Baguio") and Dahilayan, a foggy barangay turned zipline resort.

The coldest of the cold is Lantapan, a breakaway district of Malaybalay on the slopes of the Kitanglad mountain range.

Lantapan is so cold that dew sometimes lingers as late as noon.

Spared by typhoons and seated on fertile earth at 4,000 feet above sea level, the cool climate has made Lantapan one of the Philippines' prolific vegetable baskets.

Mountaineers know Lantapan as the gateway to Dulang-Dulang, the country's second-highest point after Mount Apo.

Getting there: Buses ply the scenic highway between Cagayan de Oro and Malaybalay every day.

Jeepneys bound for Lantapan are stationed at the Malaybalay public market.

Manila-Cagayan de Oro flights run daily.

8. Marawi

In a predominantly Catholic, tropical country, Marawi is an oddity, as much for its largely Muslim populace as its climate.

Mosques and torogans (royal houses) dot the city.

On the island of Mindanao, the city's 2,600-foot-high elevation ensures temperatures regularly plummet to at least 57 F (14 C).

Marawi's reputation as a dangerous town has stunted its tourism potential.

The local university is a "zone of peace" -- at 1,000 hectares it's virtually a city within a city, complete with a hotel.

Getting there: Head to Iligan by bus or jeepney from Cagayan de Oro. Marawi is a jeepney ride away, along the Amai Pakpak Avenue from Iligan.

The rice terraces of Ifugao are more than 2,000 years old.

 

9. Banaue

Banaue is one of four towns in Ifugao province that make up the UNESCO-listed Rice Terraces of the Philippine Cordilleras.

While these stunning monuments of ancient engineering are widespread in Asia, those in Ifugao trump most in terms of altitude and steepness.

The highest ones tower around 4,900 feet above sea level.

The variety of rice grown here adapts to freezing temperatures.

Getting there: Overnight buses depart Manila for Banaue nightly.

10. Lake Sebu

With its flotilla of lilies and schools of tilapia fish, Lake Sebu on the island of Mindanao is full of postcard-caliber beauty.

Even better, the namesake town feels good on the skin, with temperatures seldom warmer than 77 F (25 C).

Sebu and two other lakes in the town empty down into seven waterfalls, two of which are connected by a high zipline.

Tourists can also settle for canoe rides with the T'boli, a tribe of weavers.

Weather-induced shivers are eased by their warm hospitality, if not the traditional cloth (t'nalak) that's sold around town.

Getting there: Fly or sail to General Santos City, then take a bus to Koronadal. Ride another bus to Surallah, where vans and jeepneys shuttle you to Lake Sebu.

11. Itbayat

Itbayat is the only low-altitude town on this list.

But what it lacks in altitude it makes up for in latitude.

As the northernmost town in the Philippines, and thus the furthest from the equator, Itbayat experiences four seasons instead of two.

It can out-winter Baguio between November and February, when temperatures crash to 44 F (7 C).

Itbayat looks more like an English moor than a tropical island town. (English seafarers settled the area in the 17th century and called it Orange Isle.)

Ivatans, the native inhabitants of this frontier town, brave the cold winds with thermal garments called vakul and kanayi.

Their houses are built with sturdy walls of coral bound by lime.

Getting there: Flights from Manila and Tuguegarao serve Basco, Itbayat's neighboring island, at least once a week.

A four-hour boat ride or 10-minute flight links Itbayat and Basco.

The Philippines and the European Union

As I wrote already in one of my previous columns: the European Parliament is elected five years by member states' citizens - in 2014 this coming Sunday, May 25.

I agree with EU Ambassador Guy Ledoux saying that the significant increase in the number of European politicial leaders to the Philippines confirms the increasing interest of the European Union in the country. It was interesting to listen Ledoux's speech during the Europe Day reception. Yes, indeed the flow of bilateral visit of ministers from European member states as well as Philippine Cabinet members visiting European countries has been steady.

The increase in the number of visits is no accident, as word of high economic groth and good governance in the Philippines has reached Europe.

Already last June, Foreign Affairs Secretary Albert del Rosario met European Council Prsident van Rompuy in Brussels. And yes, that's the right path to take: the Philippines decided to resolve maritime issues peacefully and within the framework of international law.

And let's keep in mind: the lifting of the air ban for major Philippine air carriers is indeed one of the major achievements in European-Philippines relations.

Tourists in the Philippines is not always a great topic comparing to other Asian countries and their visitors' numbers. Good to know, that the Philippines has recently be named as one of the top 20 destinations for 2014 by an European newspaper. Anyway, European hospitability companies should invest more in the Philippine tourism industry by creating jobs and sharing their experience.

As expatriate living in this wonderful country since 1999, I can only underline Ledoux's statement saying Filipinos are known worldwide for their amazing hospitability because when they have visitors they do make feel them at home. The same thing told me Deputy Head of Mission (Germany Embassy), Mr. Michael Hasper during my last Manila visit.

(Pre-published in MINDANAO DAILY MIRROR from Monday, May 19, 2014 in my column "IN MY OPINION".)

Cholera Outbreak in Cotabato Town

By GMA TV

A cholera outbreak in Alamada town, Cotabato province, where at least eight people died after showing symptoms, was confirmed Friday afternoon by the province Gov. Lala Mendoza.

Mendoza said that the outbreak was confirmed after samples from the town were tested.

The World Health Organization defined cholera as an "acute intestinal infection caused by ingestion of food or water contaminated with the bacterium Vibrio cholerae."

Cholera has a short incubation period of a maximum of five days. It produces an enterotoxin that causes a "painless, watery diarrhea that can quickly lead to severe dehydration and death if treatment is not promptly given."

Vomiting also occurs in most patients.

Mendoza said the tests had included chemical, bacteriological for water, and rectal swabs.

According to a separate report from GMA News stringer Garry Fuerzas, health officer Dra. Rosario Bandala said they examined more than 700 patients. Of these, 438 tested positive for Vibrio Cholerae.

Figures from the Alamada Municipal Health Office showed 769 were brought to hospitals or clinics, with 438 testing positive for Vibrio Cholerae.

The governor said the Department of Health, the provincial government and Alamada local government unit were "now taking intervention to control this outbreak."

Alamada Municipal Administrator Robin Cadava said a state of calamity, which was first declared last Wednesday, would remain over Alamada until the patients recover. The state of calamity allows the local government to use its calamity fund.

Meanwhile, Town Councilor Nolie Doromal added they had allocated P986,000 in calamity funds to help the patients.

Relatives of the eight fatalities had been given financial aid, according to the governor.

New patients

A report by GMA Davao's Jan Bautista on "24 Oras" Wednesday evening added several residents had gone to the local community hospital for treatment. They complained of vomiting, loose bowel movement, stomach pains, and dizziness.

Dr. Mary Joy Posada, chief of the Alamada Community Hospital, said in a Phlippine News Agency report that though many patients had been discharged, new patients kept complaining of stomach pain and diarrhea.

“On Monday, the patients came by batches, by 20s, even 50s, on board trucks and military vehicles,” Posada said. She added only about 178 remained in the hospital.

Still, she said the situation was better compared to the previous few days.

Hospital figures showing 600 patients were vomiting, had diarrhea and stomach pain. More than 70 percent of them have recovered and returned home.

 

 — Joel Locsin/DVM, GMA News